The Pope’s “Michael Jackson Entrance” For 1995 World Youth Day

MANILA, Philippines – A storm threatened rain and the night was made colder by a strong wind, but inclement weather did not stop early birds from camping out last night in Rizal Park to wait for the mass to be celebrated this afternoon by Pope Francis.

Up to six million people are expected to attend the mass that will cap Pope Francis’ historic visit in the Philippines.

Last Friday during their one-on-one meeting at Malacañang, President Aquino told Pope Francis that the crowd at today’s mass is expected to be bigger than the record five million that turned out for Pope John Paul II’s mass in the same venue during the World Youth Day celebration on Jan. 15, 1995.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said yesterday that Aquino showed the pope photographs of the World Youth Day mass.

During the 1995 gathering, the crowd packed streets several kilometers away from the park. Many were perched atop cars and climbed trees for a view of John Paul II. So dense was the crowd that the pope abandoned plans to travel from his residence by car and was flown instead by helicopter.

With all the joy and cheers of the Filipino crowd every time Pope Francis passes by, the cardinals who elected him in 2013 observed that he has turned out to be a “rock star” pope.

But will there be a unique entrance for Pope Francis during his concluding mass this afternoon at Quirino Grandstand?

During the World Youth Day in 1995, organizers of the papal mass thought of preparing a “Michael Jackson-like entrance” for Pope John Paul II when he appeared before the crowd.

Jimmy Policarpio, chief operating officer during the 1995 World Youth Day, said organizers considered the health of Pope John Paul II, who at that time was 74 years old and still recovering from an accident.

“Pope John Paul II had an accident. He had a total hip replacement a year before the event, so what we did was to make sure that all his movements would require less physical effort for him,” Policarpio recounted.

To bring Pope John Paul II up the stage, carpenters cut a rectangular hole on the floor of the Quirino Grandstand, just enough for the Holy Father to pass through. A seesaw elevator was used to raise the pope. The stage floor opened up and out came Pope John Paul II.

“I got this idea when I watched the Michael Jackson concert in Russia,” Policarpio said.

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MICHAEL JACKSON VOTED VANITY FAIR’S BEST COVER STAR OF ALL TIMES!

“I pray that my children will give me the benefit of the doubt. That they will say to themselves: “Our daddy did the best he could, given the unique circumstances that he faced. He may not have been perfect, but he was a warm and decent man, who tried to give us all the love in the world… I hope that they will always focus on the positive things, on the sacrifices I willingly made for them, and not criticize the things they had to give up, or the errors I’ve made, and will certainly continue to make, in raising them. For we have all been someone’s child, and we know that despite the very best of plans and efforts, mistakes will always occur. That’s just being human.“ Michael Jackson – Oxford Speech 2001

“I’ve seen lawyers who don’t represent me and spokespeople who do not know me speaking for me. These characters always seem to surface with dreadful allegations just as another project, an album, a video is being released.” ~ Michael Jackson, November 18, 2003

“He’s a high tenor with a three-and-a-half octave range. He goes from basso low E up to G and A-Flat above high C. A lot of people think its falsetto, but it’s not. It’s all connected, which is remarkable. During his vocal exercises he would put his arms up in the air and would start spinning while holding a note. I asked him why he was doing that, and he said ‘I may have to do it on stage, so I want to make sure it’s possible.’ I’d never seen anything like that before. I thought maybe I should stop him so he can concentrate on his voice now, and dance later. But I figured if he can do it, let him do it.” — Seth Riggs on Michael Jackson